With a personal computer and an appropriate software package, a user can produce virtually any type of document that may be desired. For example, word processing software is used to produce text documents. Graphic design or computer-aided design software can be used to produce diagrams, charts, graphs, designs, etc. Frequently, it is desirable to generate a hardcopy of a document or data set that is produced or stored on a personal computer. Consequently, a wide variety of printing devices have been developed that can receive a print job from a host computer and produce a hardcopy of the document represented by that print job.
In order to produce hardcopy documents, a printing device uses supplies or materials that are consumed as documents are printed. Such consumables include, for example, toner and print media. Toner is typically provided in a print cartridge that can be replaced in the printing device when the toner in the cartridge is expended. The manufacturer of a printing device also typically makes and sells print cartridges that are particularly configured for use in the printing devices of that manufacturer. The print cartridges of the original manufacturer may be particularly suited for use in the printing devices of that manufacturer in a number of ways including, size, electronic connections, toner formulation and quality, etc.
Problems can arise when the print cartridges of another manufacturer are used in a printing device for which they are not specifically designed. These problems can include damage to the printing device and degraded or poor print quality.
These problems are made even worse in the case of counterfeit print cartridges that purport to be from the original manufacturer of the printing device or some other reputable manufacturer, but are not. In such as case, the operator of the printing device may think that appropriate print cartridges have been obtained for the printing device. Then, if problems occur such as damage to the printing device or poor print quality, the reputation of the printing device manufacturer can be severely degraded because the problems are attributed to the equipment of that manufacturer when, in fact, a counterfeit print cartridge is to blame. Additionally, the printing device manufacturer may have to incur significant costs under the warranty of the printing device that would have been avoided if authentic print cartridges had been used. Consequently, it is important to printing device manufacturers to be able to detect the introduction of counterfeit print cartridges into the marketplace.
Throughout the drawings, identical reference numbers designate similar, but not necessarily identical, elements.